Combination lock



C. S. GEHRIE COMBINATION LOCK Oct. 15, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 9, 1966 A-r-ronmcy Get. 15, 1968 c. s. GEHRIE 3,405,544

COMBINATION LOCK Filed Nov. 9, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 na ns CHARLES s. Gaume:

ATTORNEY Oct. l5, 1968 c. ssen-:RIE I 3,405,544

COMBINATION LOCK Filed NOV. 9, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheff, 5

INVENTOR.

CHARLES s. GEL-Rua ATTORNEY Oct. 15, 1968 C. s. G51-1R15 3,405,544

COMBINATIQN LOCK Filed Nov. 9, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

CHARLES 5. GEHRH-Z United States Patent O 3,405,544 COMBINATIGN LOCK Charles S. Gehrie, Montclair, NJ., assignor to Presto Lock Co., Ine., Garfield, NJ., a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 593,095 2 Claims. (Cl. 70-74) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combination lock of the type having a manipulatable latching slide member which supports the dials and associated means for movement therewith wherein the slide member is supported for movement in a guideway provided by a plate member, the slide member having means extending from a side thereof for cooperation with a hasp which enters the side of the plate member beneath the plate members upper surface.

The invention relates to releasable latching devices for luggage cases or the like provided with keyless or combination locking means, and is more particularly directed to improvements in combination locking means of the type disclosed in Reissue Patent No. 16,833 granted Dec. 27, 1927.

An object of the invention is to provide a latching device having combination lock means associated therewith, hereinafter referred to as a combination lock, wherein an essential component of the latching device serves the added function of contributing to the means for locking and unlocking the device, and for changing the combination. As a result, the number of parts and operations required to make and assemble the product is reduced, thereby enabling a reduction in the cost of manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination lock wherein the dials and associated means for locking and unlocking the device are carried for movement upon the essential latching slide member.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination lock, the locking components of which are so compactly arranged that they may be mounted upon the relatively small latching slide member of the latching assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination lock with a visual nding feature whereby the combination lock may be opened or unlocked without the necessity of knowing the combination. This feature enables setting the lock to open combination when a dial is inadvertently or otherwise rotated to place the cornbination in locked condition and the open combination is not known.

These, and other advantages, and improved results of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which:

FIG. l is a top plan view of a combination lock made in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the lock in its latched condition, a portion of the back cover being broken away to show the latching slide member in latching engagement with the hasp plate of the hasp assembly;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, this view showing the device in unlocked and unlatched condition;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the combination lock, apart from the hasp assembly, with the back cover completely removed;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the inside face of the back cover;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal, vertical, cross-sectional view taken approximately in the plane of line 6--6 of FIG. 1,

ice

the latching slide member being shown in latched position and locked, this view additionally showing the manner in which the combination lock may be secured to the wall of a luggage case or like receptacle;

FIG. 7 is a view similar toFIG. 6, the lock being shown in unlocked condition; this condition also permitting the combination to be changed;

FIG. 8 is a transverse vertical, cross-sectional View taken approximately in the plane of line 8 8 of FIG. 6, this view also showing the hasp assembly in engaged position and secured to the wall of a luggage case or the like;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view showing the relationship of a dial, its associated flanged sleeve, and means for preventing movement of the latching slide member;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9, except that the ilanged sleeve is shown oriented to permit actuation of the latching slide member to unlatched position when all of the flanged sleeves are so oriented;

FIG. 11 is a top plan View of the plate member or body component of the device;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the underside of the plate member;

FIG. 13 is a view of the underside of the latching slide member component of the device;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the resilient or spring means cooperable with the several dials of the locking means; and

FIG. 15 shows a dial with an associated flanged sleeve.

The compactness of the combination locking means is best illustrated with relation to a latching device of the type disclosed in Levine Patent No. 2,820,359 granted Ian. 21, 1958. As will be hereinafter described, the combination locking means is incorporated in and carried by the latching slide member of the latching assembly, and the essential back cover is made to provide cooperable means so that latching and unlatching, locking and unlocking, and changing of the combination may be achieved.

Referring to the drawings, a combination lock made in accordance with the invention comprises a latching assembly having combination locking means associated therewith, generally designated A, for cooperation with a hasp assembly B. As will be subsequently explained, the hasp assembly B may be of the same or similar construction as disclosed in the aforementioned Levine patent. Essentially, the assembly A comprises a body or plate member C, a latching slide member D, a back cover E, resilient means F (FIG. 4) intermediate the plate member C and the latching slide member D to resiliently urge the latching slide member toward latched position, and the parts of/the combination locking means, generally designated G, such locking parts being secured to and carried by the essential latching slide member of the latching and locking assembly.

As shown in FIGS. l, Zand 3, and more particularly FIGS. 11 and l2, the -plate member C is generally rectangular in shape and has a central opening 20, also of rectangular conguration. The opening is dened by the parallel, spaced, longitudinally extending portions 22, 22' and the connecting cross portions 24, 24 at the ends of the piece. In order to fulll its various functions most effectively with the greatest economy of manufacture, the plate member preferably is made by die casting. The plate member provides a longitudinally extending guideway 26 which is outwardly open and open at the ends of the plate member. The guideway is defined by the inner edges of the portions 22, 22 and by the upper surfaces of the cross portions 24, 24. The upper surfaces vof the cross portions lie in a plane below the plane of the upper surfaces of the longitudinally extending portions. The

outer sides of the cross portions 24, 24 furnish stops 28, 28 to limit the extent that the latching slide member D may move with respect to the plate member when the latching slide member D is positioned for longitudinal movement within the guideway 26.

As shown in FIG. 1, the latching slide member D has a width slightly less than the guideway 26 so that it may slide in the guideway without interference. As shown in FIGS. `6 and 7, the latching member is provided with downwardly extending end flanges 30, 30 for cooperation with the end stops 28, 28', respectively, on the plate member C. When assembled with the plate member, the top surface of the latching slide member lies in substantially the same plane as the top surfaces of the adjoining portions 22, 22 of the plate member as shown in FIG. 8.

As shown in FIG. 4, the resilient means F is preferably in the form of a bent leaf spring. It is located intermediate the plate member and the latching slide member to resiliently urge the latching slide member toward latched position, and allows the slide member to be manually retracted to unlatched position against the force of the spring. The bent leaf spring is held in position and normally urges the latching slide member to latched position by having one end 32 of the spring curled about a positioning stud 34 provided by the latching slide member. The bent central portion 36 of the spring is extended around a positioning lug 38 provided by the plate member, and end 42 of the spring bears against a downwardly extending ange 44 defining the lower side of the plate member. The latching slide member is secured to the plate member in a manner to be subsequently described.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 6, 7 and 13, the latching slide member has a top wall 46 and downwardly extending side walls 48, 48 which, together with an end wall 40 and opposite end wall 40 longitudinally spaced therefrom, dene an inner cavity 50 (FIG. 13) open toward the bottom of the latching slide member. As best seen in FIG. 13, the walls 40, 40l are located inwardly from the end extremities of the latching slide member so that the cavity 50 extends for only a portion of the length of the slide member. A hook 52 is provided to extend from the lower edge of the top side wall 48 near one end thereof. The hook cooperates with a cooperable hook portion 54 provided on a hasp plate 56 of the hasp assembly B. In view of the various portions and functions of the latching slide member, it is preferred, in the interest of economy of manufacture, to make the latching slide member by die casting.

As shown in FIGS. l, 6, 7 and 13, the top wall 46 of the latching slide member D is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots 58 extended through the Wall in communication with the cavity 50. In this ernbodiment of the invention illustrated, the combination locking means G includes three dials 60; therefore, there are three slots. With three dials, each having ten indicia or numbers thereon, there are one thousand different position combinations available. It will be understood that any desired number of dials may be used to furnish the desired number of available combinations.

The latch sliding member D is constructed to carry for movement therewith the parts constituting the combination means for locking the latching slide member in its latched condition; also, to enable unlocking the latching slide member so that it may be retracted to unlatched condition. The latching slide member is provided with bearing means for journaling a shaft 62 upon which the dials 60 are mounted, together with a flanged sleeve 63 having a flat portion associated with each dial. The shank, and at portions of each sleeve are designated 64,466 and 68, respectively (FIG. 15). Also, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the shaft serves to support resilient, sleeve-cooperable means 70 acting to normally urge the sleeves into keyed relationship with their respective dials. In addition, the shaft serves as a support for means 72 for shifting the sleeves out of keyed engagement from their respective dials when it is desired to change the combination. Further, the latching slide member serves as a support for resilient, dial-cooperable means 74 (FIG. 14) to resiliently maintain the dials in desired circumferential position on the shaft.

The underside of the latching slide member D is provided with longitudinal spaced bearings to receive the ends of the shaft 62. Preferably, and as shown in FIG. 13, the bearings are cast in the end walls 40, 40' in the form of substantially hemispherieal bearings 76, 76 open to the underside. The latching slide member is positioned in the guideway 26 with the hook portion 52 of the slide member located on the underside of the top portion 22 of the plate member C. In such relationship, the undersides of the portions 77, 77 of the latching slide member (FIG. 13) respectively engage the top surfaces provided by the cross portions 24, 24 of the plate member. The shaft 62 is extended through the dials 60 and their associated sleeves `63. The resilient, sleeve-cooperable means 70 in the form of a compression spring is positioned over one end of the shaft. A lever, constituting the means 72 for shifting the sleeves out of keyed engagement from their respective dials, is slideably positioned over the opposite end of the shaft. The shaft with the described parts mounted thereon is then assembled with the latch sliding member by placing the ends of the shaft in the open bearings 76, 76'. The shaft and parts supported thereon are placed in position so that the dials 60 extend partially through the slots 58;` whereupon the dials, while rotatable, cannot move on the shaft in a longitudinal direction.

The resilient, dial-cooperable means 74 is then positioned to engage the individual dials. As shown in FIG. 14, such means comprises a member having a plurality of spring fingers 78, one finger for each dial. The spring member is provided with tabs 80, 80 having means in the form of apertures 82, 82 to facilitate connection to the latching slide member. As shown in FIG. 13, the latching slide member is preferably formed with a plurality of connecting studs-the bottom longitudinally spaced studs 84, 84 and the spaced top studs 86, 86'. The spring member is placed in position with the studs 84, 84' extended through the apertures 82, 82', and with the ends 88 of the fingers 78 resiliently bearing against the outer peripheries of the dials 60. The assembly of the parts to the latching slide member is completed by connecting a retainer plate 90 to the latching slide member.

The retainer plate 90 is best shown in FIG. 4; it is also shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The retainer plate is substantially rectangular in shape and has a substantially rectangular central opening 92 to allow the dials 60, the flanged sleeves 63, the spring fingers 78 and the shaft lever 72 to extend therethrough. The retainer plate is provided with holes near its corne-rs to allow the connecting studs 84, 84', 86, 86 to be extended through the holes. The extremities of the studs are swaged over to complete the sub-assembly. The retainer plate covers the ends of the shaft 62 in the bearings 76, 76 to connect the shaft and the parts mounted thereon to the latching slide member; also, the dial-cooperable spring member 74 is secured 1n position.

The retainer plate also functions to connect the latching slide member and combination locking means mounted thereon to the plate member C. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 12, the underside of the plate member is provided with a plurality of supporting surfaces against which the retainer plate may bear for sliding engagement. The preferred die cast plate member provides a pair of longitudinally spaced bearing surfaces in the form 0f projections 38, 38 near the bottom of the plate member. As previously indicated, one projection 38 also serves to position the spring F. At the top of the plate member and also on the underside thereof, longitudinally spaced supporting surfaces 94, 94 are provided. As shown in FIG.

4, the retainer plate 90 is dimensioned and contoured so that in the latched and unlatched positions of the latching slide member, surfaces provided by the retainer plate are slidably related to the surfaces provided by the bearing surfaces 38, 38 and 94, 94. Since, as previously described, the latching slide member has the inner faces at 77, 77 in sliding engagement with the upper surfaces of the cross portions Z4, 24 of the plate member, the latching slide member is connected to the plate member and confined for sliding movement in the guideway 26.

As shown in FIG. 1, the dials 60 are each provided with indicia or numbers in equidistantly spaced relation on the outer circumference. Grooves 96 are provided between adjacent numbers to receive the tips 88 of the spring member 74 so that the dials may be resiliently maintained in selected circumferential position. Referring to FIGS. 9, and l5, each dial has a central opening 98 through which the shank 64 of the sleeve 63 may be extended with a slight amount of clearance. The flange 66 on each sleeve is of a larger diameter than a dials central opening. On one side of each dial, circumferentially arranged detent receiving recesses 100 are provided adjacent the opening 98, there being one recess in alignment with each number on the dial. The recesses 100 extend only partially into the side wall of the dial and are adapted to receive a detent or detents 102 located at the juncture of the ange 66 with the shank 64 of a sleeve, whereby a dial and a sleeve may be keyed or meshed to one another. On the opposite side of each dial, an annular lrecess 104 (FIGS. 6 and 7) is provided. Such recess has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of a flange 66 on a sleeve. When the sleeves are shifted out of keyed relationship with their respective dials, the ange 66 of a sleeve to the left of a given dial, as viewed in FIGS. 6 and 7, may enter a recess 104 of such dial to allow movement of the sleeves to the extent necessary. Each sleeve is provided at its flanged end with an annular recess 106 (FIGS. 6 and 7) to receive the end of a shank 64 of an adjacent sleeve when the sleeves and thei-r respective dials are mounted on the shaft 62. Also, the recess 106 of the sleeve which is adjacent the spring 70 receives the spring and provides a bearing surface for one end of the spring. The llat 68 is provided with a spot of paint 108 (FIG. 15), the paint preferably being of the luminescent type for a purpose to be subsequently desc-ribed.

When the dials 60 and their respective sleeves 63 are assembled on the latching slide member, together with the spring 70 and the lever 72, the spring causes the sleeves to be keyed to the dials because of the resilient pressure imposed upon the sleeves which, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, are in abutting, end to end engagement; the detents 102 are received within recesses 100 in each of the longitudinally xed dials. When the lock is on open combination as shown in FIG. 7 (the tlats 68 are all oriented as shown in FIG. 10), moving the lever 72 to the right imparts longitudinal movement to all of the sleeves to cause the detents 102 to rnove out of the recesses 100 of the dials, thereby permitting changing the relationship of a dial with respect to its sleeve. Rotation of a dial changes the position of the flat portion 68 of an associated sleeve with respect to a given number on the dial. The release of pressure upon the lever 72 results in the spring 70 moving the sleeves to return them to keyed engagement with their respective dials.

The combination of indicia or numbers exposed on the outer side of the latching slide member which will enable unlatching the device, or to lock the latching slide member in latched position, depends upon the alignment or misalignment of the flat portions 68 of the sleeves with one another and with respect to cooperable blocking means. The blocking means is provided by the essential back cover E.

As shown in FIGS. 2 3, 6 and 7, the back cover E is constructed for connection to the plate member C to protect the elements of the combination locking means and to provide means cooperable with the flanged and flat portions of the sleeves. The back cover, which preferably is made as a stamping, is provided at its corners 'with holes (FIG.5) through which `are extended connecting studs integrally formed to extend from the underside of the plate member C near its corners. The ends of the connecting 4studs are swaged over to secure the parts together. As shown in FIG. 8, the back cover connected to the plate member furnishes an opening at the top of the assembly to allow entry of the hasp plate 56 and .a dowel provided by the hasp member to which the hasp plate is connected.

The back cover E is dished to allow room for the dials, and further to dimensionally locate in desired position the ends of a plurality of longitudinally spaced, rupstanding lugs 112. Two of the lugs may be pierced and struck up from the back cover to provide apertures 111 for a purpose to be subsequently described. The third lug may be provided by an extension of the end wall 113 (FIG. 5). An adjacent aperture 115 is provided for such lug. When the back cover E is secured to the plate member C, the lugs are positioned in the path of the flanges 66 on the sleeves to prevent unlatching, and the anges and the flats are in alignment for viewing through the apertures 111, 115 as shown in FIG. 6.

The height of each of the lugs 112 is such that when the ange 66 of any one of the sleeves is oriented as shown in FIG. 9, there is interference or blocking to prevent longitudinal movement of the latching slide member. With the latching assembly A latched to the hasp lassembly B, the device is locked. When the dials are rotated to open combination, the flats 68 are adjacent the lugs, and there is clearance las shown in FIG. 10. As a result, the latching slide member may be shifted to unlatched position, Also, the `sleeves may be shifted longitudinally by the lever 72 to disengage the sleeves from their respective dials, thereby permitting setting of Ia selected combination on the dials. After the combination of numbers desired is exposed at the front of the device, the pressure on the lever 72 is 4released to key the sleeves to the dials. Any other combination than the one selected will not permit the latching slide member to be moved to unlatched position.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the back cover E is provided with an end slot 114 having a width to allow the lever 72 to move up against the edge 116, whereupon the lever may be rotated on the shaft 62 into the adjoining transversely extending slot 118 to hold the lever in such position while the dials are rotated to a selected combination at the front face of the device. Reverse movement of the lever sets the combination.

There are instances Iwhen the open combination may be changed and in effect lost. When the combination lock is shipped by the lock manufacturer to the luggage manufacturer who will Iassemble the lock with a luggage case, the lock is in its open combination; that is, the fla-ts 68 on all the sleeves are related to the lugs 112 as shown in FIG. 10. When the luggage case with the lock secured thereto is in a luggage shop or department of a store, the lock must be on open combination so that the purchaser of the case may then set the lock with a cornbination of his own secret selection.

It has been found that prospective customers of luggage are tempted to manipulate combination locks before becoming familiar with the written instructions which accompany the luggage case. As a result, the latching slide member is locked in its latched condition, with the open combination unknown. This situation has occurred frequently, and'has caused much difficulty. Luggage cases with the tampered locks are returned to the luggage manufacturer. In addition to onerous shipping charges, the manufacturer must 'bear the expense of trying to salvage the locks. The locks -must be removed from the case shells, and then the back cover must be removed to eX- pose the interior of the lock. This requires a great deal of effort, `and often the locks are mutilated beyond repair.

The foregoing problems and attendant difficulties are obviated by the providing the back cover with the aforementioned spaced openings 111, 115, together with the provision of the indicator 108 on the flats 68. By sighting through the openings and rotating the dials having the sleeves keyed thereto, the dials yare rotated until one may see the visual indicator 108 on each at 68. With the combination open, the latching slide member may be moved to unlatched position, the lever 72 may be moved to disconnect the sleeves from their respective dials, and the dials rotated to the secret combination selected.

The hasp assembly B, as previously indicated, may be a known construction, for example as shown in the aforementioned Levine patent. As shown i-n FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the hasp plate 56 is pivoted to a hasp body 122 at 124. The hasp -body may be provided at its lower side with a dowel 125 which is Iadapted to enter the space between the plate member C and the back cover E at'the top of the assembly. A spring 126 (FIG. 3) is coiled about the stud or pin 124 with one end of the spring bearing against a wall provided by the hasp body 122 and with the other end of the spring engaging the hasp plate 56. The spring normally urges the hasp plate to its up or disconnected position. The pivoted hasp plate is limited in its upward movement by a stop stud 128 projecting from the -rear side of the hasp body. The hasp plate is provided with a cutout 130 cooperable with the stud 128 to limit the extent of movement of lthe hasp plate. The hasp plate has a ngerpiece portion 132 to facilitate moving t-he hasp plate from the unlatched position shown in FIG. 3 to the latched position shown in PIG. 2.

A hasp cover 133 (FIG. 2) is connected to the hasp body 122, and this may be accomplished by providing a central opening in the hasp cover, extending the stud 128 therethrough and swaging over the end of the stud. The hasp cover is also provided with two openings to allow connecting studs 124, 124 to extend therethrough. As previously indicated, the stud 124 may lalso serve as a pivot pin for the hasp plate and as a support for the spring 126. The connecting studs 124 and 124' are of `sufficient length to permit them to be extended through openings provided in a luggage case wall so that the ends of the connecting studs may be swaged over for a firm connection of the parts.

To connect the latching assembly and integrated combination locking means A to a wall of the luggage case, the plate member C may be provided with connecting means in the form of hollow studs 134, 134', as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. This enables rivets 136, 136' to be forcetted into the hollow studs. To provide a support for the heads of the rivets, a washer 138 may be provided to bear against the inner surface of the luggage Wall 140. The washer is provided with an opening 142 aligned with the slot 114 in the cover plate so that the lever 72 may extend therethrough. Also, and to enable sighting the visual indicators 108 on the ats, the washer 138 is provided with openings 144 in alignment with the openings 111, 115 in the back covers, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

It is believed that the advantages and improved results afforded by the minimal number of components, together with the minimal number of operations involved in assembling the components, to furnish a compact latching device having associated combination locking means will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. Various changes and modifications may be made to the preferred embodiment of the invention hereinbefore 8 described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A combination lock comprising a plate member, the outer face of the plate member having a longitudinally extending guideway, a manipulatable latching slide member positioned in the guideway, the slide member having hasp-engaging means extending from a side thereof on the underside of the plate member, cooperable means provided by the plate member and the latching slide member to limit the extent of longitudinal movement of the latching slide member in the guideway, resilient means intermediate the plate member and the latching slide member to resiliently urge the latching slide member to latched position, a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots in the front face of the latching slide member, longitudinally spaced bearings in the latching slide member on the underside thereof, a longitudinally `extending shaft having the ends thereof journaled in said bearings, dials mounted on the shaft and partially extended through the slots, a anged sleeve for each dial mounted on the shaft, the flange of each sleeve having a flat portion, cooperable means provided by each dial and its respective sleeve for keying them together, resilient sleeve-cooperable means on the shaft normally urging the sleeves into keyed relationship with their respective dials, resilient dialcooperable means, means connected to and extending from i the shaft for shifting the sleeves out of keyed engagement from their respective dials, a retainer plate connected to the underside of the latching slide member slidably related to the plate member connecting the slide member to the plate member, securing the shaft ends in their bearings and securing the resilient dial-cooperable means to the latching slide member, whereby the assembly of the shaft, dials, sleeves, resilient sleeve-cooperable means, resilient dial-cooperable means and means for shifting the sleeves are all carried by the latching slide member for movement therewith, and a back cover connected to the underside of the plate member, the back cover and the underside of the plate member providing an intermediate opening for the entry of a hasp member, the back cover having a plurality of longitudinally spaced blocking means extending therefrom for cooperation with the flanges on said sleeves, the flat portions of the anges bypassing the blocking means to allow movement of the latching slide member, the back cover having a slotted opening to allow said means for shifting the sleeves to extend therethrough.

2. A combination lock as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fiat portion of each sleeve has a visual indicator thereon, and the back cover has aligned openings for viewing the indicators.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 745,081 11/1903 Smith 70-304 1,583,686 5/1926 Hatch 70-316 1,583,687 5/1926 Hatch 70-312 1,606,279 11/ 1926 Wildrick 70-312 2,267,374 12/1941 Eber 70-312 2,512,028 6/1950 MacMillan 70-293 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

R. L. WOLFE, Assistant Examiner. 

